Is Taylor Swift Really the Feminist Icon She Claims to be?
Taylor Swift has cautiously crafted her reputation as a feminist. Looking back, it seems almost calculated, almost traceable.
After ending a noticeably long streak of famous boyfriend (Joe Jonas, John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, Harry Styles,…), Swift took a break from dating men in 2013. Instead, she surrounded herself with a select group of elite women (Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Gigi Hadid, Lorde,…), a group with which she both filmed her “Bad Blood” music video and hung out with at social events.
It’s no denying that Taylor Swift’s past boyfriends have given her fame and attention. By late 2012 she had gained a reputation of sustaining a profession by writing songs about her romantic relationships. Certainly the switch from male romantic partners to female friends didn’t hurt her popularity; being seen with these famous women helped Swift gain the same media attention she received when she was seen with famous men.
But in the end being surrounded by female friends was even better for her career because it gave her labels associated with the independence of not needing male companionship. Phrases like “strong, independent woman”, “leader of girl power”, and “feminist”. Which is great if Taylor used this momentum to actually create some change in the lives of everyday women. But she never really did. While she never hesitated to bring her friends to her concerts as a publicity boost, Swift never brought them to into any serious discussions about women’s rights. A discussion that would greatly benefit from the media attention surrounded by these women, and by the “female power” that they supposedly represent.
This elite form of feminism became even more suspicious when Taylor Swift’s argument with Nicki Minaj surfaced on Twitter in July. Nicki Minaj’s original intent was to attack Grammy’s nomination process for overlooking black women in the music industry. But her attack made Swift, an already Grammy nominee, seem like she was on the privileged side of the issue. And Taylor Swift never allows herself to be anything but the victim. She spun Minaj’s words to make them seem like an attack on her in particular, and defended herself with the argument that women shouldn’t fight one another. While Nicki Minaj was trying to call out institutions in the music industry (an act of real feminism!), Taylor Swift seemingly pushed aside the cry of injustice in the name of the watered-down feminist philosophy that “women shouldn’t fight other women”. Swift tried to use her feminist label as a way to shut Nicki down, and more importantly, as a way of bringing attention to herself. Immediately, the argument brought to light that Swift’s feminism was not only exclusive to the richest of Hollywood women, but was also incompatible with the intersectionality of including black women. If Taylor Swift’s definition of feminism doesn’t include the lower 99% and it doesn’t include black women, I highly doubt it would include the LGBTQ+ women, other women of color, or women in developing countries. So who exactly does it include?
My theory: nobody really. Swift’s form of feminism is nothing more than a PR mechanism. A word or idea she can throw at the press to bring more publicity to to her name. Both the way she used her “girl power” group as a popularity stunt and the way she undermined Nicki Minaj’s feminist message for an opportunity to play the martyr are proof that Taylor Swift puts her public image above the advancement of women’s rights.
So imagine my reaction when I wake up Monday morning to see Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift all over my social media feeds: the videos Kim Kardashian leaked that disproved Taylor Swift’s earlier claims that she had no idea about the lyrics in Kanye West’s song, Famous; the rebuttal Taylor Swift gave that clarified that she was most hurt by the lyric calling her “that bitch”, which wasn't mentioned in the video and which she states Kanye West never got her approval for.
Understanding that she’s right that the term “bitch” was never mentioned by West in the video, and understanding that the term is incredibly offensive, I’m still skeptical about Swift’s argument. It’s not because hip-hop music is notorious for using derogatory language like “bitch”, and to be genuinely offended about it seems hard to believe. It’s not because Taylor Swift has written countless songs about other people, including Kanye West, without asking for their permission. It’s not even because Taylor Swift has taken every opportunity to replay her role as the victim in her dispute with Kanye West since it first began in 2009.
It’s because I see her nasty habit of using her reputation as a feminist as a title she can cash in for media coverage and self-defense for petty arguments.
So Taylor, when you support your story with the argument that you were upset over the word “bitch”, I’m sorry. But I call your bullshit. You can’t use feminism as your personal hound dog, one that fights your personal battles while ignoring the ones fought by other women who aren’t you. Important battles fought everywhere. Every day.
